The Heart System

Chapter 256: Chapter 256

Without knocking, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Nala followed right behind me. Reid shot up from his chair like I’d shoved a gun in his mouth—ready to bark at me for barging in—until he saw her.

The second his eyes landed on Nala, the frustration melted clean off his face and turned into dread. His shoulders tensed. His jaw twitched. He swallowed hard.

Good. He understood the gravity.

Nala walked right up to his desk and stood there, arms folded under her chest, gaze sharp enough to cut steel. She didn’t say a word. Didn’t need to.

I set Kim’s laptop on his desk after closing the door, flipped it open, and hit the spacebar.

The paused frame of camera 10B started to play, showing him stepping out of his office.

”Why lie?” I asked, pointing at the screen. ”You told me you didn’t leave.”

Reid rubbed his face with both hands like he was trying to scrub the panic off. ”I... I must’ve—forgotten. What’s this about, Ms. Nolin?”

”Answer him,” Nala said flatly. ”Not me.”

”Where did you go?” I pressed, tapping the screen. ”When you left your office, where did you go?”

”I... I don’t know. Why are you asking me this?”

”Are you the mole?” I asked. ”Did you run across the damn building and hide in the security room before I found you?”

”That’s bullshit!” he snapped, voice cracking. ”After the mole was caught, the whole building went into lockdown! How would I get inside again?!”

”Maybe there’s another entrance we don’t know about,” I said. ”Like the roof vent.”

Nala stepped closer, her expression turning colder. ”You left your office just before the intruder was found. Then you disappear for nearly forty minutes.”

”And you come back right after the chase ended,” I added. ”You were gone almost an hour, Reid.”

”Explain,” Nala said. ”And prepare your resignation by this evening.”

Reid sank into his chair, then stood back up, then sat again—unable to stay still. Sweat formed at his temples. His left leg bounced like a jackhammer under the desk.

”I’m not the mole,” he said, shaking his head. ”I swear.”

”Prove it,” I said, closing the laptop.

He inhaled sharply, held it, then exhaled in a shudder. His hands trembled. He couldn’t meet either of our eyes.

”Okay,” he muttered. ”Fuck. Fine. I was...”

”Yes?” I said. ”Speak.”

He rubbed his face again, then sighed heavily. ”I was doing cocaine in the bathroom, alright? I must’ve used too much. Knocked me out cold inside the stall.”

Nala’s voice cracked like a whip. ”Cocaine? In my building?”

I stepped forward. ”Do you have any on you?”

Reid bit his lip, hesitating. Then he reluctantly reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette pack. He popped it open and slid out a tiny clear bag tucked along the inside flap—compressed powder wrapped in plastic. He held it up between his fingers like it was no big deal.

Motherfucker.

”Are you out of your mind?” Nala asked. ”If this leaks—”

”I know you won’t rat me,” he said quickly. Too quickly. ”If you do, Ms. Nolin, the whole team will walk. They love me. You fire me, they go with me.”

”Are you threatening us?” I asked, stepping closer.

He sneered at me. ”Shut up, coffee-boy. You only have a job because your girlfriend hired you. Now go lick her cunt like a good little pet.”

My jaw tightened. Every instinct in me wanted to break his nose across the desk. But I didn’t move. Not yet.

”If he’s not the mole,” I said calmly, ”then this whole list was for nothing.”

Nala extended her hand. ”Give me the packet.”

Reid handed it over with a roll of his eyes. ”Anything else?”

”For now, no,” she said coldly. ”But I’m disappointed in you, Reid. Severely.”

”I’m disappointed someone like you became CEO,” he muttered. ”But you don’t hear me complaining.”

Nala didn’t reply. She turned and walked out the door, spine straight, controlled fury radiating off her. I followed her, closing the door behind us.

The second we were in the corridor, she stopped. Her hands curled into tight fists at her sides as she tried to steady her breathing. Her chest rose and fell sharply. She was angry, rightfully so.

I understood. If this were my company, I’d be punching holes in the wall.

”That arrogant drug-brain prick,” I muttered. ”He’s lucky you’re the one in charge. I’d have put his head through a window.”

”Save that energy,” Nala said, still trying to calm herself. ”I’ll arrange a drug test immediately. We’ll confirm whether he’s telling the truth.”

”Today?” I asked.

”This very second,” she said.

”Good.”

We walked toward the elevator together, leaving Reid—and his coke-fueled bullshit—behind us.

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎

The day dragged by without anything worth mentioning. No drama, no breakthroughs, no sign of that slippery mole. Reid’s drug test had been done; the results would arrive tomorrow. Until then, the board was holed up in a meeting about what to do with him now that we knew he’d been snorting coke on company time.

Fun day.

The elevator dinged. The doors slid open—and Kim stepped out like she’d just walked through a nightmare. Her face was pale. Eyes wide. Breathing shallow.

I straightened behind my desk. ”Kim?”

She walked toward me slowly, heels clicking on the floor with that stiff, tight rhythm people get when they’re holding themselves together by a thread. Her denim skirt hugged her hips, her white blouse slightly wrinkled—as if she’d been running her hands over herself in anxiety. Her ponytail was so tight it looked painful.

She stopped at my desk, swallowed hard, and let out a shaky breath.

”Evan,” she said. ”God...”

I pushed my chair back. ”What happened? Something wrong? Is it about the mole?”

She shook her head immediately. ”No. Not the mole.” She hesitated. ”...It’s Tom.”

My eyebrows shot up. ”Tom?”

”I told you he was back in the city,” she said quietly. ”But now... he found out where I work.”

I leaned forward, elbows on the desk. Her hands trembled as she reached behind her head and yanked the band off her hair, letting it fall around her face. She looked exhausted—more than that, rattled. Tom coming back was already bad enough. Him finding her workplace? That was worse.

”How did he find out?” I asked.

”He saw an online post,” she muttered. ”Something I posted weeks ago. About working at TechForge. I swear I blocked him. He must’ve made a new account.”

”Well...” I rubbed my neck. ”Did he message you?”

She nodded, lips tightening. ”Yeah. He wants to meet.” Her voice cracked a little. ”Evan, I don’t want to see him. At all. He threw me out. He didn’t care that I’d end up homeless when his mother took the house.”

”And he still listened to her,” I said. ”Yeah... I know. But why the hell would he want to see you now?”

She shook her head helplessly. ”I have no idea.”

”Just block the new account too,” I said. ”We don’t need him in our life.”

”I already did,” she murmured. ”I just... I don’t know. I panicked.”

I reached out and gently touched her shoulder. ”Hey. Calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Before she could answer, the phone on my desk rang. I picked it up.

”Hey, you two,” Nala’s voice came through. ”Come to my office.”

I turned around. Through her glass wall, Nala stood at her doorway, one hand holding the phone, the other gesturing sharply for us to come over.

I hung up and stood. ”Let’s go.”

Kim nodded, still shaken, and we walked together toward Nala’s office. She kept her head down the whole time, arms wrapped around herself, her steps smaller and slower than usual.

I pushed the door open, and Kim slipped in behind me, closing it softly. Nala looked up from her desk—and the second her eyes landed on Kim, she froze. She could smell something was wrong. I just gave her a tiny shake of my head and headed for the couch.

I sat down and pulled out my cigarette pack. Kim quietly settled beside me. When Nala approached us, she didn’t bother hiding the concern on her face.

”Kim?” she asked gently. ”Are you okay?”

Kim exhaled shakily. ”Eh... I don’t know, really.”

”What happened?” Nala sat beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. ”Tell me.”

Kim swallowed. ”You remember Tom? I told you about him, right?”

”Yes,” Nala said. ”You and Evan used to... well—” she smirked a little ”—let’s say you two ’cucked’ him. I think that’s the correct term here.”

”Yeah. Him.” Kim’s voice turned bitter. ”He found me. Found where I work. He wants to meet.”

Nala’s expression softened. She rubbed Kim’s arm reassuringly. ”Ah... Kim. I’m sorry. I know how persistent some guys can be. Ask Richard.”

”He’s not like him,” Kim said quickly, shaking her head. ”This is different. And that’s not even the point. I just... I don’t want anything from my past showing up in my life again. Not after meeting Evan. Not after finally feeling okay.”

Nala pulled her closer. Kim rested her head on Nala’s shoulder while Nala shot me a look that basically said ’well, shit—what now?’ I took a long drag of my cigarette and just shrugged. I didn’t know either, truly...

”If he comes near you,” Nala said softly, ”we’ll handle it. Okay? Don’t worry.”

Kim nodded, smiling weakly. ”Thanks...”

”We’ll beat his ass up and toss him into the street,” Nala added with mock anger. ”Just like he did to you.”

Kim let out a small laugh. ”I’ll kick him first.”